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Blood Paid In Blood
The smell of blood and soot are around him as he walking down the field among the corpses of all the fallen soldiers and horses. Few crossbow bolts stuck on his shield and the blood were stained on his surcoat and sword. It was already over, Joakim sheathed his sword as his soldiers were lingering around to see if there’s anything valuable on the corpses or burying the dead. He commanded 300 soldiers against the enemy and finally defeated them, but the battle cost a lot of lives of his men. Not only the soldiers from Ravernstern, Sarleon and Fierdsvain joined the fight, Joakim also hired Noldors from Ithilrandir after he gained the trust of Elacrai. Although he is a young king of Pendor, Joakim haven’t conquered the Empire and D’shar due to the peace treaty. The enemy wasn’t from D’shar or Empire, nor Snake Cult or any outlawed knights but it is an Adventuring Company led by Oswald de Fleur. Joakim had been looking for this man for years, and when he heard the name of Oswald… the young king of Pendor immediately mustered his forces and proceeded to attack this man and the company. “Come here!” someone shouted not far from him, Joakim saw Sigismund and a Noldor knight dragged a prisoner and forced him to kneel right in front of the Pendor king. Joakim said nothing but looked at the man and looked back at Sigismund. “Is this the man, Sinclair?” he asked his companion, “Yes, this is the bastard you’ve looking for.” Sigismund said to the young king and he punched the prisoner in the face, spit on him. Oswald de Fleur is a leader of adventuring company, but his cruelty and brutality towards prisoners as well as innocents made his notorious infamy. He did not just let his adventurers killed the men and raped the women, Oswald ordered the children to be killed… Lethaldiran claimed that he saw what this monster did to a village which is not far from Windholm. Joakim did came across several famous figures such as Kodan Ironsword and Wolfbode, Joakim let them go in exchange to tell them not to raise arms against him. This time, Oswald de Fleur… this is another story. Before he could speak, Joakim saw few of the Ravernstern rangers came and they quickly beat Oswald down to the ground and kick him. Sigismund and the Noldor knight quickly separated them from Oswald as he is cowered in fear and bruises. “This man needs to die! He and his men plundered my home and killed my parents!” one of the Ravenstern rangers shouted as he pointing his finger at Oswald. There were also other soldiers shouted for Oswald to be executed, he had made many enemies around Pendor. “Silence!!!” Sigismund shouted and the soldiers immediately pipe down in silence. Joakim looked at Oswald and grinned sarcastically at him, “Well, I never thought that the great Oswald de Fleur will cower in such grace.” The young Pendor king commented as he placed his elbow on the hilt of his sword. The defeated man get up onto his feet and kneel down, “We didn’t do anything towards you or your kingdom! Why you attack us- ” before he could finished, Oswald were punched by Joakim. “I remember that I did not give you permission to speak freely, you son of a whore.” Joakim said as he kicked Oswald down onto the ground. The scene immediately surrounded by Joakim’s soldiers, even Boadice, Lethaldiran and other of the companions among them. Although he was beaten down, Oswald quickly get up and surrounded his arms around Joakim’s knees. “Have mercy on me! I’ll fight for you! I’ll help you to claim the lands of D’Shar and the Empire! I’ll give you anything or do anything you want! Just don’t kill me!” Oswald begged for mercy, tears were running down from his eyes… Joakim could smell the fear of death from him. “Anything is it? Well… there’s one thing I want you to do… Let’s play a game shall we?” Joakim pointed one of the Sarleon mounted knights, “Give me your horse, lad.” he told him. The Sarleon knight dismounted and gave his horse to Joakim without question, but the other soldiers were curious what kind of game that the king will play with the infamous adventurer. “Rules are simple, Oswald. You ride this horse as fast as you can and disappear into the woods before I can reach you. If you managed to disappear in the woods, you’re free.” This kind of game were caused an uproar of the men, but Joakim immediately drawn out his sword in the air and pointed it at the soldiers. “If any of you stop me in this, I’ll kill you myself.” He glared at each of the soldiers and sheathed back his sword into the scabbard. Oswald immediately climbed onto the horse and steered it around while Joakim looked at the adventurer. “Even if you escaped, you will stumble into some Vanskerries and trust me, they stripped everything off from you and leave you naked in Singal… Don’t forget you’re alone for now and your adventurers are lifeless corpses. ” Joakim said to Oswald as he raised his hand high, “Go!” he shouted and Oswald immediately sped up his horse and ran. The soldiers were muttered with each other about what will happen after this? Will Oswald successfully escape into the woods or their king had something in his mind. “Joakim, are you sure about what you are doing? That man got a free horse and if he’s escaped, that bastard is going to round up new adventurers and no doubt he come and bears arms against you.” Boadice said to Joakim as she approaching him but the young king seemed to be ignoring the former queen of Veccavia. “You there, ranger. Give me your bow and a Bodkin arrow.” Joakim pointed at a Ravenstern ranger. The ranger gave his longbow and a Bodkin arrow as he was instructed by his king. After have the bow and the arrow, Joakim nock the arrow and raised the longbow high in the air. The soldiers did not know that he could shoot an arrow from a bow, only Joakim’s companions knew about his keen marksmanship. Aiming at Oswald, Joakim relaxed and calmed himself for a moment… this is his one only shot. He breathed slowly and released the arrow from his bow, the projectile flew in the mid air, followed by the wind. At the distance, Boadice saw Oswald turned his head over his shoulder and realized something flew towards him and before he knew what it is, the arrow pierced into his shoulder and he fell down from his horse. “Well, it seems that the king of Pendor still retained his marksmanship.” Boadice exclaimed in calm tone as she smiling towards to Joakim. Joakim did not smile back or respond to her, Boadice sensed that something stirring within the young king… she saw his vengeful glare for the first time. Even though he became a king, Joakim still had his laughter and never forget about his friends until the name of Oswald De Fleur came to him, Joakim’s expression immediately changed from friendly to vengeful. As Oswald were wounded and crawled among his dead adventurers, Joakim dropped the bow and his shield onto the grasses as he walking towards to the wounded adventurer. None of the soldiers dare to accompany him, not even Joakim’s companions but Boadice followed him by his side as she feared his safety. As he groaned in pain after he removing the arrow from his shoulder, Oswald saw Joakim already stood right in from of him. “… Why are you doing this to me? What did I do to you?!” Oswald shouted as he grasping his bleeding shoulder, this time he is quite furious about Joakim’s so called “game”. The young king went in silence for a moment and he gazed at a distant, there he saw villagers who were passing from far away from him. “Twenty years ago, there’s a civil war erupted in Barclay which lasted for 2 years.” Joakim said to Oswald without looking at him but he continued the story and Boadice listened to him closely, “A small village known as Febern, filled with friendly folks and they were guided by a young village elder. This village elder is a just and wise man, he had a beautiful wife and a six years old son.” Joakim said as he looked back at Boadice and then towards to the wounded Oswald. “The village were at peace until one late night, a company of mercenaries led by a man came to Febern and they rounded up the villagers, even the village elder and his family among them. The man accused the village elder for providing shelter to the rebels without any proof and ordered his men to slaughter the villagers. He grasped the village elder’s son and tied him around a tree while the wife were pushed onto the soil by the mercenaries and they began to strip off her clothes.” Oswald’s eyes were widened after he heard the story from the king and Boadice heard the horrible story for her first time. “As the village elder begged the man to release his wife and son, the man immediately slit his throat with his dagger. The son who is tied onto the tree watched his father died in the hands of the man and his mother raped continuously by the mercenaries.” Joakim’s hands were tightened into fists as he continuing the story, “After their lust were sated, the mercenaries killed the boy’s mother by impale her with spears and the man laughed in glee. After that, he ordered his men to untie the boy and bring him forward. He said this to the boy, “If you run fast and disappear into the woods, I will let you go.” He said to him. The boy is terrified and traumatized after what he had saw, he quickly ran into the woods as the man instructed. As he ran in the woods, an arrow struck the boy and he collapsed down onto the ground, bleeding heavily.” Joakim said as he placed his hand onto the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it out. “The arrow was shot by the man, he laughed and jeered at the injured boy for being weak and unable to save his parents and the villagers. After Febern was burnt down to the ground and the villagers were slaughtered, the mercenaries and the man left the boy for dead. At next day, the boy is founded by a group of Barclay noble knights and they nursed him to health. The boy later became a page for a Barclay noble and when he grown into a man, he became a squire. After that, he left Barclay and set sail to Pendor where he met many friends who were soon became his companions in battle against Mystmountain bandits, knights from Eventide Order and Heretics. After he conquered Ravenstern, Sarleon and Fierdsvain, the man crowned as the king of Pendor.” Joakim said to Oswald as he drawn out his sword. “You…” Oswald said as he got up onto his feet, he glared at Joakim with his eyes and now his fear is gone. “Indeed, I am that boy whom you tied onto the tree in Febern, I am the boy whose father was killed by you, I am the boy whose mother were raped and killed by your men, and I am the boy who was shot by your arrow in the woods of Febern! 20 years ago, I am just an innocent boy who knew nothing of war but 20 years later, I am the first king of Pendor right in front of your eyes.” Joakim exclaimed in vengeful tone and Oswald saw a sword which were grasped by one of his dead adventurers, he quickly grabbed and pointed it at Joakim. “Damn you boy! If I knew this, I should have killed you in Febern!” he yelled at him. Boadice quickly grasped her hand around the hilt of her sword but she was stopped by Joakim, this is his personal fight against the man who murdered his parents and the villagers of Febern. “But you didn’t, and I am going to torture you till you cry for death. This is the moment that I have waiting for.” Joakim pushed Boadice away as Oswald charged towards him. Oswald’s sword clashed with Joakim’s Fierdsvain Leaf Sword, and both of them continued to strike the steel against steel. The adventurer tried to thrusting his sword but Joakim avoided it, and he slashed Oswald’s leg deeply with a single strike. The adventurer screamed in pain and Joakim punched him down with his gauntlet. “Get onto your feet, whore. The gods above will not show you mercy, nor do you find any here.” Joakim taunted Oswald as he readied his stance again. Oswald yelled in anger and pain as he got up and charge towards Joakim with his sword. Avoided Oswald’s flurries, Joakim slashed and cut off Oswald’s right hand with his sword. “That is for my father!” Joakim shouted and he cut off Oswald left hand again, “That is for my mother!” he shouted again and Oswald is staggered in unbalance gravity. With the sword spun in his hand, Joakim pushed his sword deeply into the chest of Oswald with his vengeful glare. The adventurer gurgled and coughed out blood as he looking at Joakim. “And this, is for the villagers of Febern you’ve killed.” Joakim pulled out the bloodied sword and immediately swung it across the neck of Oswald, send his head flying in the air. Boadice realized that it was over, the lifeless and headless of Oswald’s body fall onto the ground and Joakim stabbed his sword onto the ground and looked at the skies in silence, Boadice approached him from behind and stood him by his side. “He got what he deserved, Joakim… I-” before she could finish, Boadice were hugged by Joakim in sudden and this was much to the Veccavian queen’s surprise. She heard Joakim were crying and sobbing like a child, she never saw the king who cried till this state. The king of Pendor cried loudly as he hugging the former queen, Boadice said nothing but she comforted Joakim by caressed his long black hair with her hand… the death of the Pendor king’s parents and the villagers of Fesbern have been avenged. Category:Tales from Pendor